05-27-14 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Insurance Services Office (ISO) Insurance Services Office (ISO) community fire protection ratings have been a benchmark for jurisdictions for decades. The system measures the effectiveness and efficiency of three key parts of community fire protection; fire department, water distribution, and alarm notification system. However there are two key limitations of this benchmark. First is that the evaluation is only used by some insurance companies, with most large insurers doing their own risk assessment by individual occupancy. Second is the fact that residential insurance rates for participating insurers are banded for class #2 through class #8 communities. This means that the premium for insurance to homeowners is the same for these communities. The only occupancy type which has separate rates for each class number ( #) is commercial occupancies where the needed fire flow is below 3,500 gallons per minute (gpm) for suppression. The bottom line is that ISO ratings are a good benchmark for suppression activities of a community but do not evaluate the key areas of prevention, code enforcement, and planning and zoning which are the proactive functions of community fire defense planning. When determining how to staff, equip and support a fire department the City does have options. At the same time, it is important for the City Council to fully understand what the standards and benchmarks are for this business. It is fair to anticipate and expect that the residents and businesses who are receiving the CFD's services today will want, at minimal, the same level of service from the City. Lino Lakes Fire Department Equipment Needs Pursuant to NFPA #1720 and Fire Protection Handbook, apparatus needs for the new Depaihuent (including Station #2 and the proposed Birch Street station) would include: • 2 engines — 1,500 gpm with 500 gallon water • 1 Aerial ladder — 100 foot • 2 tankers — 2,000 gallon with onboard pump • 2 light rescue vehicles • 2 grass/brush attack units • 1 boat with rescue capability • 1 ATV with rescue capability Some of this apparatus could come from liquidation of current CFD resources, but there will also be some which must be purchased. The cost for this apparatus purchasing could range from $1.5 million to over $3 million. Additionally, there will be personal protective equipment to buy; turnout gear currently costs about $2,500 per set, Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) are at least $3,000 per unit, and uniforms, pagers, etc. will have to be provided to all personnel. The total cost for this personal equipment could range from $4,000 to $6,000 per firefighter; again, some of this will come from the distribution of the CFD assets and equipment. Preliminary Cost Assessment Startup costs for a new fire department in Lino Lakes would consist of the capital costs for construction of the new station and purchase of apparatus, in addition to the costs of recruiting, training, and outfitting new personnel. Assuming that the city builds a 7,100 square foot facility at an average cost of $195 per square foot and soft costs of 25 %, the total construction cost would be approximately $1.73 million. Lino Lakes, Minnesota — Fire Department Analysis Page 29